Read and comment on this story from the LaCrosse Tribune on Melissa Reynolds who has been serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Uzbekistan during the war with Iraq and said that "During our training, we were worried that if we went to war with Iraq, we would get evacuated and sent home." But that was not the case. "When the war started, Peace Corps and the American embassy determined it was still safe for us to be here," she said. "Uzbekistan was one of the countries that supported the U.S. in the beginning to go to war, so for the most part, the Uzbek people were supportive." Read the story at:

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UW-L graduate in Uzbekistan during Iraq war

By AUTUMN GROOMS of the Tribune staff A lot has happened in the world since Melissa Reynolds, a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse graduate, arrived in Uzbekistan in January.

"It's hard to say if it's different between serving during war and not during war, because the whole time I've been here, we were under the threat of war," Reynolds said in an interview by e-mail. "During our training, which is about two and a half months, we were worried that if we went to war with Iraq, we would get evacuated and sent home."

That was not the case.

"When the war started, Peace Corps and the American embassy determined it was still safe for us to be here," she said. "Uzbekistan was one of the countries that supported the U.S. in the beginning to go to war, so for the most part, the Uzbek people were supportive."

Even though "occasional drunk guys" would say something anti-American, they were in the minority, Reynolds said.

"I get a lot of political questions about how I feel about the war, how I feel about Bush, who I voted for in the 2000 election, etc.," she said.

Reynolds' journey to Uzbekistan began shortly after she graduated from UW-La Crosse. She had a bachelor's degree in archaeology and a minor in photography, but wasn't sure what she wanted to do with her life.

Graduate school application deadlines were nearing, and the pressure to make a decision was mounting. Then she remembered a chat she had with a friend about the Peace Corps. The Grand Rapids, Mich., native applied online to the Peace Corps just before leaving for Jamaica on a mission trip through her church. It was in Jamaica that Reynolds realized she wanted to keep traveling and helping others.

"It was at a time in my life when I needed to do some self-discovery and do some good in this world," she said.

After an online and paper application, interview, medical and dental exams, and more paperwork, Reynolds was given her assignment - Durmon, Uzbekistan, a suburb of the capital city of Tashkent.

The Peace Corps has about 100 volunteers in Uzbekistan, a Central Asian country slightly larger than California. Reynolds said the Corps has an extensive safety and security program for those stationed overseas.

"The Peace Corps director meets with the American embassy and the Uzbek government weekly to discuss the safety of Americans here," she said. "Then, if anything happens (for example, the travel advisory to Uzbekistan put out by the state department in the beginning of April) then all the volunteers get contacted.

Reynolds teaches English to grades one through five in Uzbekistan. "After a few months, I will begin what are called secondary projects," she said. "This can include doing summer camps, working at a different school, doing projects that can help better the community I live in."

Besides jobs, Peace Corps volunteers also have three primary goals - bringing American culture to Uzbeks, learning Uzbek culture and bringing what is learned back to America.

Reynolds will be in Uzbekistan until April 2005. When her time of service is finished, she plans to travel, go to graduate school and pursue a career in archaeology.

"The best part of what I'm doing is the interaction with the locals. Some days can be more challenging than others, but overall it's rewarding," Reynolds said. "I like the cultural exchange and learning how people think and live differently. I also like being able to share the cultural differences of America.

"Also, every day there is something that happens that is new. Life in Uzbekistan is never dull."

Autumn Grooms can be reached at agrooms@lacrossetribune.com. (608) 782-9710, ext. 357.Click on a link below for more stories on PCOL

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This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Uzbekistan; Safety and Security of Volunteers; PCVs in the Field - Uzbekistan

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